An Angelwinged Lioness
by Gearhead85
Summary: The story is about Sarah Leonhart and how she deals with the problems when the past comes back for her and may cost her her life. It is a lot of genres contained in it. I rate it M because some violence, death and a little bit of nudity.
1. Traumatic Memories

Hi again. The story takes place eighteen years after the game and will be mainly about Squall's and Rinoa's daughter and her friends who also are the kids to the gang. I start two years after just to give some background. Sarah Leonhart will be a bit different than many other ideas. I don't own the Final Fantasy-stuff so please don't sue me. I also want to do an explanation my system with lines. (Thoughts) [Voices like their head like GF and etc.]

An Angelwinged Lioness

Chapter 1: Traumatic memories

"Hurry up Sarah, or we will be late for class. " An anxious Desiree Kinneas said. "Quistis will be furious if we are late."

"Just a minute, I am almost done." Sarah's voice echoed from inside Ragnarok's maintains hatch.

"What are you doing down there?"

"I am trimming the jet engines so we can cram more power out from them and thereby go faster." Sarah said as she peaked up like a mole with some oil on her cheek. "I found a book about it when I visited grandpa last time."

"About how much faster?"

"Well, that is something we will know first when we try it. Let's go to class before Instructor Trepe turns us into tonight's dinner." Sarah said as she climbed up from the maintains hatch and closed it.

"By the way soon it is the fieldexam. You are the one that spends the most time of us in the trainingcenter so you will pass for sure." Desiree said as they walked towards the elevator. "I am quite impressed that you have time to train, stud and working on the engines. I don't know how you do it."

"Well, if you give up a quite portion of sleeping you get the time." Sarah answered as she wiped away the oil on her cheek.

They entered the classroom and had just sat down when Quistis came in and started the lesson.

"God morning class. Today the student are ready to do the fieldexam that follows." Quistis said as she sat down by her desk. "Everybody that isn't applying for this year's exam may have a free day, but I suggest that you use that time to study. And by the way, let me introduce a new student that has transferred from Galbadia Garden. May I welcome Cole Almasy?"

A boy around the same age of the rest Clothed in a pair of black combat pants, boots and a gray trenchcoat with a red cross on the arm entered the classroom and slumped down behind a computer. "Let's get it over. I just transferred because this is my old mans old home. I want to accomplish what he failed to clear the bad taste of the name."

"Well, lets us see wish students that wants to try to become SeeD this year. I guess you Cole is one of them with that ambition." Quistis smirked as she remembered his father. "The rest of you may dismiss while those who is going to take the exam is going to stand in a line by my desk and receive some basic instructions."

Sarah, Desiree and Harley walked to the desk along with eight other students.

"I see that you are planning to become a SeeD this year. Your father will surely be proud." Quistis said as she looked at Sarah.

".I am mostly impressed that he let's me. You know how protective he is."

"Yeah, I know .I wish you good luck" Quistis said as she handed over the folder with the instructions.

"Thank you." Sarah said with a nod of gratitude.

"I didn't know that you needed your old mans permission." She heard Cole voice with a bit mockery.

"Well, usually I don't but my father is the commander and that makes everything a bit more complicated" Sarah turned around and faced the boy.

"So you are the commander's kid huh. I promised my old man to give that Leonhart-kid a real ass whopping, but I didn't expect him or rather her to be that cute."

"Thanks, but I am harder than I look. You could be real cute yourself if it wasn't for that damn arrogant style you have." Sarah said as she looked the man in the eyes.

"Well, you have quite a mouth. But do you have the gut to prove it?"

"I accept your challenge" Sara nodded with fire in her eyes. "Met me after class down in the quad and we will see how good you are."

"See you there sweetie." Cole said as he received the papers and walked back to his place.

("This guy is going to get on my nerves if I don't rip him to shreds first") Sarah thought as she walked to her two friends.

"Who does he think he is?" Desiree said with anguish.

"Well, he might be a bit smoother later after you have kicked his bony little behind." Harley glared at Cole's direction

The class dismissed and Sarah walked to her dorm first to change out from the uniform into her normal clothes wish is a pair of black jeans, black tanktop, a black vest with a couple of pockets and the Griever-symbol on the back, a black cap and combat boots. She sat up her hair in a ponytail and took her pair of sai. ("It is about time that little asshole some manners.")

She walked into the quad ready to duel many of the ones that had heard about the duel had gathered to witness it, and they had brought some friends with them. She walked past the crowd to meet the young blonde. "I was afraid you wouldn't show up." She heard him say with a cocky smile.

"I am here, let's do this." She hissed.

They started fighting. Cole brought his gunblade up and charged at her while she dodged away and brought out her sai and charged back. The fight was getting quite fierce as Cole did a new swing with the gunblade and Sarah blocked with her sai.

("Damn, this guy is almost as good as he looks.")

Cole jumped back to dodge a kick from Sarah and managed with a few inches.

("She fights quite well for being so cute. I may have underestimated this girl.")

The fight had been going on for nearly half an hour when Sarah managed to kick away his legs with a low kick and Cole fell down. When he tried to rise up Sarah knelled quickly down and pointed her sai at his throat.

"You put up with quite a fight." Sarah said with small drops of sweat in her face as she removed the sai from his throat and helped him up and looked at the crowd who had started to leave.

"And what do you think you two are doing?" They heard an angry voice and there stood the SeeD-commander Squall Leonhart with his arms crossed.

"Uh- uh, we were just training sir." Sarah saluted.

"Really. I thought IT just looked like YOU two were FIGHTING a duel." He looked first at his daughter and then at his former rivals son and then back on Sarah again.

"It is totally my fault sir." Cole suddenly opened his mouth and said. "I challenged her and drove her to accept it."

Sarah was speechless. ("Is this arrogant bastard taking the whole blame to protect me?")

"It was not just his fault. I accepted the challenge, so I am guilty too sir" She quickly said.

Squall gave one of his trademark scowls and looked at the two youths. "I let it go for this time, but I hope it doesn't happen again. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes sir. The two of them answered in unison."

"By the way, I want to see you to in my office in an hour from now to give further instructions about the fieldexam. Don't be late." Squall said as he leaved.

"You seem to be full of surprises. First you do all you can to insult me, and then suddenly you try to protect me. What gives?" She looked at him a bit confused.

"I felt bad for you to get in trouble with your old man. And I owed you that because you beat me." He said as he walked around and turned to face her. "Damn it, here I come and trying to pick up where my old man left (She is actually pretty cute.) But I couldn't do it either"

"Why do we have to be enemies and rivals just because our parents were? Sometime the fighting must stop." She walked towards him. "Actually I think it was kinda sweet of you to take the blame. You are not your father more than I am mine."

"Is that why you didn't choose the gunblade as your weapon?"

"I love my father I really do, but it is hard to be the daughter of two legends. If I had chosen the gunblade the pressure should have been even greater because everybody should have expected me to be naturally good with it. The only ones that don't see me as an extension of my parents are my father and two friends, and of course my mother… at least until she died." She walked towards the railing and looked out at the view and Cole followed her and took the place beside her. "So tell me. Why do you act so damn arrogant towards people, when you in matter of fact are quite nice?"

"Fear. I was afraid that people might think I will wreak the same havoc as my old man did and betray you. Everyone might not share your ideas so I tried to set up a kind of respect by hiding behind a cocky attitude so no body would dare bugging me. You are actually the first who don't care about my bloodline. (What a girl, both have the looks and doesn't care about who your relatives are.)" He said as he looked into her ice blue eyes. "I hope then if we aren't to become enemies, maybe we could be friends?"

"I should love that. Let us go and meet the commander. I am sure both Harley and Dess will be friends with you to if you show them this side."

"I just have to ask, do you see your old man as a hero?" Cole asked as they stepped into the elevator.

"Yes, but not for the same reason the others might think of him as a hero, nor does he want that. He told me that the only thing they were trying under the second sorceress war was to stay alive like anybody else." Sarah answered. "In my eyes he is a hero by being a good father, like when I was three and was sick, he made me a ragdoll for comfort. Also have he been a great support since mom died. That is the reasons why I look at him as a hero, just for those tiny little things."

When they entered the office they saw that both Harley and Desiree who still whore their uniforms stood inside and as soon the she and Cole had joined them Squall started to speak.

"I have summoned you here because of your requests for the fieldexam, and I am happy to tell you that you all have what it requires. We have decided that this year we will tell you wish team you are going with already now so you can get to know each other before. You are team C."

"What? Shall we work together with that arrogant bastard?" Harley burst out as Desiree looked at the commander like he had lost his mind.

"Hey, he isn't that bad." Sarah snapped to her two friends. "Give him a chance."

They all except Squall looked at Sarah with some amazement.

"Well, the commander must have a good reason to put up the teams like this, so let us hear him out." Sarah said to them. "And Cole have a nice side to. Everybody has."

Squall gave a small smile before he continued. "The reason why we in the Garden faculty have made this arrangement up is because you cover each others setbacks pretty good. Harley, in fighting skills you are second only to your father in martial arts. You are a great field medic. The negative side you have is that you have inherited your fathers temper wish may land you in hot water sometimes along with the team. Ask me, I know."

"Desiree, your skills in to lighting up the mood of your team and pick up the positive aspects of a situation is a rare ability and that is something really important at a war scene. You are also the brain in the gang and a master in computers. Your setback is your lack in combat experience."

"Cole, although you are new while the others known each other since childhood you will be a big asset to the team because you are great at holding your stance and have a high stamina. You are also the most experienced fighter, despite that you lost to my daughter. Just drop that cocky attitude, it doesn't suit you and may cause some problems."

"Last Sarah, your mechanical skills can save your ass out there. You are also the one with the greatest leader qualifications because you can keep your head cool in most situations. Your setback is that you seem to analyze everything wish makes you think too much. That is something you have inherited from me and may cause some problems when fast decisions are needed. In both good and bad ways you are also stubborn as a mule. That is a trait from your mother. You are now dismissed and good luck with your fieldexam. Sarah, can you stay for a minute?"

"Sure. I meet up with you later" Sarah said as her friend leaved.

The three of them walked out from the office and stepped into the elevator. Cole was the first one to speak. "I am sorry about earlier, but I was afraid that people might hold it against me that my old man betrayed this garden back then. Sarah was actually the first one to judge me from what she sees and not from my bloodline and made me see that I didn't have to act."

"Apology accepted. Hey do you play any instrument? We three have a band that I play the drums in, Dess is play the guitar and Sarah play violin and sing." Harley said with a bit of enthusiasm.

"She can really sing, but that is surely in her blood. Her grandmother was Julia Heartily after all." Desiree said with a smile.

"I play base guitar." Cole answered. "And I should like to be in your band."

"Great. Then we can play at the Garden festival this year." Desiree nearly yelled happily.

"But let us give you warn you about one thing. Mostly because we can see you two are giving each other that kind of looks that tells everything, even though you known each other such short time." Harley said. "She might act cheerful like nothing bothers her, but we know she is putting up a brave front to hide a great burden. Two years ago she and Rinoa, her mother were in that hostage situation in Esthar."

"Yeah, I heard about it on the radio. All terrorist died and one civilian. Totally eleven dead.

"Actually, that civilian was not a civilian but a SeeD and Sarah's mother. She still wakes up screaming at nights and even if she tries to hide it you can tell that she cries when it happens. She hasn't told anyone what really happened in there. Ever since that she hasn't celebrated one birthday either." Desiree Said as they stepped out from the elevator. "We all fear for the day she will break down under the pressure and the happy façade will crumble. All we can do then is to be there for her and support her as well as we can."

("Wow, she has more skeletons in the closet than I thought.") Cole thought as he followed his new friends

Meanwhile in the office Sarah and Squall talked.

"So, what do you think about Cole? Nice guy huh." Squall said with a crooked smile.

"W-what do you mean?" Sarah felt how her face turned red.

"Well, I recognise those looks from your mother when I started to understand that she had feelings for me so don't try to fool me little lady." Squall said as he saw how his daughter blushed.

"Well, he is kinda nice if you know how to read him. But how come that you takes it with such calm? You and his father were kind of rivals of what I have heard." Sarah said as she looked her father in the eyes.

"To be honest I was worried that our bickering would continue with you two. But after he stood up for you and you tried to ease the blame my worries disappeared. It may be too late for me and Seifer to become friends, but it is not too late for you two. I must meet up with the next squad but we may talk later."

"Ok, see you later dad." She said as she walked out to meet up with her friends for lunch in the cafeteria.

That night the dream once again came to her, and as usual Sarah sat up in the bed screaming. "Not again, not again. I can't take it anymore." She whispered as she buried her face in her hands sobbing. She clothed herself and took her sai and her violin and headed for the trainingcenter.

Cole walked around the trainingcenter with his head full of thoughts. ("She must carry quite a luggage to be that cheerful, despite her experiences. I wish there was a way for me to ease her burden.")

Suddenly his thoughts was interrupted by a melody that was so beautiful but so full of pain and sorrow that even a T-rexaur should start crying. He traced the music to the secret area where he found Sarah standing there playing on her violin. Even if she stood with her back at him he could tell that tears tainted her cheeks. He stood there listening at the melody.

Sarah stood there playing on the violin as the whole tragedy replayed in her head again and again as tears streamed down her cheeks. She had done this so many times before and this was the only place she felt she could let out those emotions that she usually hid behind her cheerful façade. It was normally empty this time so no one could see her crying. As usual it ended with that she could no longer fight it and broke down in tears and sobs as she buried her face in her arms as she leaned against the railing ("Mom, why did you leave me? It is my fault; I should have been the one taking the bullet and not you.")

"Nice melody" she heard someone say from behind and saw Cole standing there.

("Oh shit, how long has he stood there listening? And here I am crying like a baby") She tried to wipe away the tears to try to hide that she had cried just seconds ago.

Cole moved closer. "I heard you playing when I walked around trying to get my mind of things. Your friends told me you have trouble sleeping sometimes. That it has something with your mother and your birthday to do."

"They still worries about me huh. Despite my attempts to make them not to." She said as she looked up at the stars. "You know, sometimes it feels like she is watching me from up there."

"Harley and Dess told me you have never spoken of it to anyone. Maybe that is why it still haunts you."

"Maybe, it couldn't hurt to try, and you have already discovered my secret by finding me here. But you have to promise not to tell anyone, not even my father."

"My lips are sealed Angeleye. So care to tell me?"

She drew a deep breath before she started the whole story.

Flashback: Two years ago

It had been her fourteenth birthday and she had been with her mother and father in Esthar to celebrate together with her grandfather Laguna Loire and aunt Ellone. Her other grandfather Fury Caraway had been there as well. He and her mother had made peace with each other after she had been born. It had been such a happy day; no one could imagine that this day would end in a terrible tragedy.

When the evening came she and Rinoa had decided to have a girls-night-out so they left for the mall, where they looked at clothes and jewellery together while they had the time of their life. Suddenly a group about ten men came in and started to shot in the air and screaming at the people to lie down on the floor, he and her mother had hidden behind a corner.

"We want that invention in about one hour, and then we start to kill people." The men said to the military outside by radio. The minutes ticked away slowly under complete silence.

"The time is out." The leader said trough the radio and picked up a young girl from the floor who started to sob as she realised that she was going to be the first to die.

"I got to do something so wait here." Rinoa told her daughter before she leaped up quickly and sent away a blast of energy at the man holding the girl followed by another blast. She started to send awy energyblast after energyblast as the terrorist took shelter. But somehow had a terrorist succeded in sneaking past her.

Sarah felt a gun against her back as she got drawn up from the floor while the man yelled to her mother. "Stop doing that if you care about this brat's life."

Her mother stoped right in her tracks as she pleaded with tears of fear coming from her eyes as she noticed her daughter was in danger. "I-I wont cause anymore difficoulties, just you let her go."

"You are right, you wont." The man said as he raised the gun and shot.

"MOM." Sarah screamed as she struggled herself free fro ranm the man's grip to her mother as she fell to the floor.

"Mom, are you ok?" She sobbed as she took her mothers hand in her while she tried to stop the blood whit the other.

"Sarah, y-you must move away from me. F-fast before i-it's too late." Rinoa said ash she tried to stay awake. Rinoa continued to plead "I d-don't want you t-to become a sor-ceress."

"NO, I WONT LEAVE YOU. I WILL GET YOU OUT OF HERE, SO DON'T TELL ME YOU ARE GOING TO DIE." She screamed as panic started to grow inside her while tears streamed down her cheeks like a river.

"Please, d-do as I say. I-I will always be with you." Rinoa pleaded as it become harder to stay awake as blood seeped out from the wound.

"NO, you can't die. I need you." Sarah's voice whimpered.

"I-it doesn't matter what…I …want; it is too late for…me…now. For…give…me…Sarah. I… love…you… swee…tie" Her mother said as her eyes started to close and a sudden burst of energy shot out from her body and hit Sarah straight in the chest with a such force she nearly fainted.

When she regained her composure she shook her mother's body while pleading. "Mom? Mom answers me please. Wake up please, mom"

She realised it was too late, her mother was dead. "Mom no please." she wailed.

She looked at the men who stood there planning who was going to die next. They stood with their backs at her so they didn't notice her rising up and pulling out her sai that she had in her boots and started walking towards them with vengeance in mind.

"You will pay." She hissed as she moved closer and closer until they were in her reach while tears streamed from her eyes.

"YOU WILL PAY!!!" she screamed as she stabbed the first one in the back, and chaos broke out as she stabbed the next one in the chest.

She could nearly see anything due to all the tears that flowed from her eyes, and in her rage she didn't hear the screams that was all around her as she continued her dance of death by stabbing the next one trough the neck followed by kicking another in the chest and threw her other sai right in the eye of a third. The men tried to shot at her but she never gave them time to aim before she stabbed them down one by one, and suddenly all terrorist lay dead on the floor. Exhausted she dropped her sai as she walked towards her mother's body and slumped down upon it crying. Suddenly the doors flew up as the military stormed in with her father in tow. He ran to her and embraced her as he kneeled down.

"Mom is dead, she is gone, she is gone." She cried as her father cradled her back and fort while the medics took care of the body.

Present

"That day I didn't lose just my mother, but also my blood innocence. Fourteen years old and already a killer. I am trying to hide it behind a cheerful personality just to not worry them or my father. I couldn't save her. It is my fault my mother is dead. I should have taken the bullet, not her." She said as tears continued to stream down her face.

"Wow that is what I call emotional luggage. But it wasn't your fault, the ones that is to blame is those men."

"And I killed them…in cold blood. Wish makes me as bad as them. Mom killed one to save a girls life while I killed them all for revenge." She said between the sobs.

"You lost it, so what? Anyone should wanted revenge after seeing their mother killed. How many more innocent had died if you hadn't acted but just cried? That girl your mother saved should have been killed wish would have made your mothers sacrifice worthless if it wasn't for you."

"I… never thought about it that way." Sarah said as she wiped away some tears before looking him back in the eyes. "I have been blaming myself for more than two years, so I have never even considered it."

"I am glad if I could be of any help. And one more thing, if you had died then I should never have met you." He said and once again looking into those eyes, suddenly he could no longer fight the urge, so he leaned forward and gave her a deep passionate kiss.

Sarah who was both chocked and surprised felt how her face turned red. ("Oh god, my first kiss. I didn't believe that this duel we had would end up in this. What is the strange feeling I am getting? Love maybe?")

When their lips parted Cole hastily pulled back. "I-I am sorry. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help it. It is just that…I have started to develop deeper feelings for you."

"W-Well, don't worry. I-I…kinda liked it." She said still a bit chocked and red as a tomato as she smiled. "Thank you." They stayed inside the secret area all night.

Next day Desiree came into the room of Harley and Cole nearly yelling. "Sarah has disappeared. I can't find her anywhere."

"Cole is gone to. Last I heard from him was that he was going to the trainingcenter to fight himself tired, because he had trouble sleeping last night."

"The last thing I heard from Sarah was when she woke up screaming tonight again. Maybe we should start looking for clues in the trainingcenter. After all it is usually the place she goes to. "Desiree said as she tugged on her blue skirt she wore along whit a green sweater and black knee high boots.

"Yeah, just give me a minute." Harley said as he dressed himself and looked just like his father except the tattoo.

As soon they entered the trainingcenter they split up and started to search in different directions.

("Where can she be? I hope that she didn't become a snack for a T-rexaur.") A worried Desiree thought as she looked. Soon she met Harley just at the entrance to the secret area.

"Well, just one more place to look then. If they aren't here, they aren't in the trainingcenter at all." Harley said as he walked into the Secret area.

But they could just not believe their eyes when they entered. They found Cole standing and watching the view with bare upper body and on the floor a sleeping Sarah curled under his coat with clothes spread around almost everywhere.

Sarah woke up and the firs thing she saw when she opened her eyes was an open-mouthed Harley and a Desiree who tried hard to suppress a giggle.

"Uh, hi guys. Do you mind looking away while I get dressed?" Sarah said with her face redder than a ruby dragon as she covered her breast with the coat.

Desiree and Harley turned around fast while trying not to laugh as the heard Sarah searching for her clothes together with an equally red Cole who had noticed that they weren't alone anymore.

"Where the hell are my panties?" They heard a distressed Sarah yelling.

"Don't worry. They will never know it is yours." Cole said as he helped her looking. "Unless you have your name written in them of course."

"Close enough. I am the only one wearing panties with the Griever-motif on the back, special designed. Oh here they are."

After a couple of minutes she was fully dressed and looked quite embarrassed. "Uh, slept well?" She asked.

"Yes, but I think you two didn't get to much sleep." Desiree said as she broke down in a fit of giggles. "You two look so adorable together."

"Hey, who wants breakfast?" Cole hurried up to say before the conversation got to naughty.

"Sounds good with me." Sarah answered relieved for the change of subject and started to walk towards the cafeteria followed by her friends.

Even if they have gotten some traits from their parents I hope I managed to give them personalities of their own. Opinions about the story are welcome. See you in next chapter about Sarah Leonhart and her friends.


	2. The Lioness Grows Wings

This is the second chapter. I hope you enjoy the kind of characters I made up. I don't like those perfect heroes like Superman and everything that follow a flawless personality that almost make Jesus look like a crook. You know and I know that I don't own Final Fantasy.

Chapter 2: The Lioness grows wings

They walked to the cafeteria where they ordered their breakfast.

Meanwhile in the office a distressed call came to Squall from Esthar.

"Ok, we will send SeeDs to help you. We discuss the fee later, just because my father was your president until two years ago." He slumped down in his chair. ("I had hoped that those damn terrorist could leave us alone. It will be a though exam for Sarah, but I can't give her any special treatment. Thank god, she has good friends to support her. ").

He took up the microphone and announced the mission. "We did just receive a distress call. Esthar is under attack and it seems like it is the same terrorist faction that was behind the massacre two years ago in a mall. All cadets who shall participate in the fieldexam shall meet up in the main hall for further instructions, Uniforms is necessary. End of message."

In the cafeteria Sarah felt how she froze for an instant when she heard the announcement.

"Sarah, are you ok?" She heard Cole's worried voice.

"Y-yeah, I am ok. Let's do this." She answered with darkness in her eyes no one of her friends seen before. ("This time, I won't snap.")

Sarah and Desiree walked to their shared dorm and changed into their uniforms and met up with the guys down in the main hall where the commander was going to brief them.

"Team A is to clear and guard the city entrance. Team B is to clear and guard the entrance from salt-sea Lake. Team C is to take the Ragnarok and transport SeeD-troops to Esthar, guard the area around Air station and act as a back up. Our objective is to see that the enemy doesn't come near Dr. Odine's lab. It may be some life and death situations so don't hesitate to save yourself or a team buddy. Now move out and good luck. Also don't forget to wear your memory bangles to protect your memories from the effects of the Guardian Force you have."

Sarah and the rest started up the engines to Ragnarok.

"Well, now we will get to know how fast it will go with the modifications you did yesterday." Desiree said behind the control-sticks. "Good thing mom taught me to fly this thing."

"Just be careful so you don't overload the engines. I may have trimmed them up so much that the ship can't handle it."

Soon they landed by the Esthar Air station and the troops walked out to their positions.

"Let's secure the area." Sarah said as they walked out. "Dess, you keep yourself at bay by the controls if we need to take of quickly. I leave Ifrit with you. Cole, secure the left street while Harley take care of the right. Don't forget to junction Shiva and Quetzalcoatl."

"Yes sir." They all said as they saluted and took their places.

Suddenly after an hour or so came a distressed call trough the radio from the SeeD-squad. "We are under attack and need backup. I repeat, we are under attack and need backup."

Sarah looked at Harley and Cole. "We are closest so it is up to us to save them. Dess, be ready to take of if they come because this area is going to be unguarded for awhile."

They ran to the place where the distress call came from, but saw immediately that they were too late. The whole squad of SeeDs lied dead on the ground. Suddenly a great number of enemy-troops emerged from different areas.

"We are surrounded." Harley yelled.

"It's a trap." Cole screamed

"Dess, check the other squads and see if they need any help and then pick us up. We will try to hold them at bay as long as we can." Sarah screamed over the radio as she unsheathed her sai and stabbed an enemy in the chest while Cole fought of some others with his gunblade followed by Harley.

They fought hard to hold their stand and but were soon forced to take shelter behind some cars.

"Cole, try to get over here." Sarah said as she tried to high wire a truck.

He started to run at them but was soon shot in the side.

"COLE." Sarah screamed as she saw him fall to the ground. "Harley, cover me. I am going to get Cole."

While Harley summoned Shiva to his help took Sarah the opportunity to run to her injured friend and dragged him behind some other cars and tried to treat the wound.

("Damn, he is unconscious. His pulse is weak and the blood flowing out from the wound.") She started to feel how the hope started to leave her as she saw that she couldn't get him to a doctor in time. ("Harley might have the knowledge, but he doesn't have the equipment to help him. And even if he had he is to busy with fighting. I-I can't stand to lose another one that I love right before my eyes. Not again") She thought as she looked at how fast Cole had started to turn pale and tears started to emerge in her eyes while she tried both potion and hi-potion on the wound but to no avail.

But just before she had given up completely she heard a very familiar voice. ["Sarah, you have the power to save him."]

"Mom?" she said as she looked up with teary eyes. "How shall I do? I don't know what you are talking about."

["Search deep in your heart and concentrate."]

("Well, what have I to lose? He will die if I do nothing.") She closed her eyes and focused with all the love she felt for him as she laid her hand upon the wound and suddenly she felt how a powerful energy flowed trough her body and a pair of wings sprouted out from her back as the wound started to close.

But just as the wound had nearly closed completely a grenade exploded nearby and a shard flew and hit Sarah right in her left eye. This caused her to lose her concentration and the wings dissolved into thin air, leaving no trace other than two rips in her jacket.

"OW, it hurts, it hurts." She screamed while holding her hand over her damaged eye as blood seeped from it.

Cole who had regained his consciousness hurried up and helped her to ease the pain with a cure-spell and felt the relief come over him when he saw Ragnarok came and opened the hatch. He helped her into the ship while Desiree gave them cover-fire followed by Harley who hadn't seen anything of either Sarah's wound or her power-manifestation.

"Sorry it took a while, but it was plenty of injured in the other squads. When everyone was onboard, or at least those who were still alive I got time to pick you up." Desiree said as Sarah and Cole entered the bridge while Harley helped the injured down in the cargo bay.

"Oh shit, that wound looks nasty. Does it hurt?" A chocked Desiree said as she saw her eye.

"It is ok. It doesn't hurt as much right now and there is those who have greater injuries that needs to be taken care of. Let's go home." Sarah said as she looked out trough the windshield. ("This is going to be a sad report.")

Back at the Garden Squall received the reports from the mission from Xu and Quistis. "The invention from Odine's lab got stolen and we lost fifteen SeeDs and the whole cadet-squad A." Xu said as she looked at the floor. "Another twenty SeeDs got pretty bad injured but will recover."

"Cadet-squad B got badly injured to with cadet Kelly Anderson losing her leg and cadet Carl McDougal losing one hand and has nasty burns in his face. Cadet Lily McDougal and Lola Brown have third degree burns." Quistis said but she didn't know how to bring the next news from Squad C.

"I believe we have one more squad to report." Squall said with an all-business tone, but you could see how worried he was in his eyes.

"Cadet-squad C is the one that handled it best with least injuries and is also the heroes of the day. Cadet Almasy, Dincht and Leonhart tried to back up the SeeD-squad but arrived too late and were forced to fight against the enemy all by themselves while Cadet Kinneas picked up the survivors from the other squads. Kinneas and Dincht got away unscathed and Almasy has just a small flesh wound…but cadet Leonhart got a grenade-shard in her left eye and are now blind on that one. She is in the infirmary now." Quistis said.

"Is there a way for her to regain her sight on that eye? Does she have any other injuries?" Squall was now openly worried

"No and no. But there is another thing that you should see. "Quistis pulled out a cadet jacket that she had hided behind her back that had two big rips on the back. "We also found these holes on her jacket. Looks familiar?"

Squall looked at the jacket while pondering. ("Damn. Can it be that Rinoa's powers have started to resurface in Sarah? She was the one closest to Rinoa when she died.")

"Commander?" Xu said. "We must decide wish squads that made it trough the exam and is ready to become SeeDs"

Squall yanked out from his thoughts and looked at his subordinate and friends. "Squad A can be counted out but will get hero funerals like SeeDs."

"Squad B might never recover enough to be SeeDs; some of them may not even survive their wounds." Xu stated with a sorrowful look.

"Then we just have squad C left. They fought bravely and didn't get to injured either. My vote is that we make them SeeD. They have earned it by showing companionship, dutifulness and fighting spirit along with a great portion of judgement." Quistis said as she handed Squall the acts with the names of squad C.

"What do you say Xu?" Squall looked at her.

"Well I agree with Quistis. They risked their own lives to save the other squads." Xu answered.

"Then it is settled. If you excuse me, I have some letters to write to some families." Squall said as Xu and Quistis left the room. ("I must also talk with Sarah about the powers that she might have gotten.")

Cole walked back and fort outside the infirmary waiting for the girl he had fallen in love with. ("Why is it taking so long? It is just to fix the eye and let her out.")

Suddenly the doors opened and Sarah walked out now with a patch over her left eye. "Wow, you almost look like mom." Cole said with a smile but then got a worried look in his face. "How bad was your eye injured?"

"They had to amputate it. It was too damaged." She said as she looked him in the eyes, at least as good as she could with a single eye.

"Damn, I am sorry." Cole said as he embraced her.

"Don't be. We are alive and that is all that matters. Some others weren't that lucky" She said as she returned the embrace. "How is it with Harley and Desiree?"

"They are doing pretty good for being their first battle. They are a bit shaken after the injuries that especially you received. Harley is a bit stunned that I didn't have greater injuries, and to be honest I am quite stunned to." He said. "He are also a bit surprised that you could kill so easily. Desiree can't believe what Harley tell her about the fight"

Just then they heard the speakers call out that the whole squad C should meet up in the commander's office so they started to walk there. They met Harley and Desiree outside the office. "Well, here does nothing." Desiree said as they walked into the office and met the commander with Xu and Quistis by his side.

"You are here because you have shown courage, companionship and good judgement. Thereby we are happy to grant you the title SeeD. Hereby and forward you are a part of Balamb Gardens Elite-mercenary force." Squall said as he walked first to Harley for his personal comments.

"You have given proof of being a real friend. Keep it up"

The next one was Desire. "You did an excellent job at flying the Ragnarok and picking everyone up, I am sure the Garden festival that you and your mother is planning will be a big success."

He moved on to Cole. "I am proud that my daughter has found a friend in you and maybe more. Take well care of her."

Last he moved to Sarah. "You look almost like your mother just as she had become a SeeD right after the Ultimecia-incident. I am proud of you and I am sure your mother is to."

"Now when the formalities I have one question. Does anyone know the true meaning of SeeD?"

"It is to train other SeeD in times with a good sorceress and to kill the evil ones. You told me that when I was little." Sarah said

"Well, pretty much like that. Now you are dismissed so you have time to prepare for the inauguration ball. Sarah, do you have a moment? I need to speak to you as a father and daughter." Squall said as he mentally prepared himself for what he was going to say.

"Sure. I have nothing to do until tonight." Sarah answered as she noticed that it was something that bothered her father.

When they were alone Squall started to talk "I am sorry that I ask you this but I have to know. Did it happen anything unusual out there in the field? Something that might be hard to explain?"

"Well, I-I don't know how but I heard mom out there. Cole got shot and I tried to help him because Harley had his hands full with holding them back. But the wound was too big for me to handle. I saw that he was nearly dead and despair came over me." Sarah told him. "Then suddenly I heard mom's voice in my head telling me how to save him."

"You also got wings during that time." Squall said as he pulled out her cadet jacket wish she had used under the fieldexam but gotten a new one as they arrived back to the Garden. "That happened quite a lot with your mother before she learned to control her powers. Nearly the whole salary was spent on new shirts because they got ripped apart so for a while she just used shirts with bare back."

"Yes, I did as mom told me to concentrate on the wound and it started to close. But I lost the concentration just as I lost my eye."

"You know that a sorceress pass her powers to the next when she dies. " Squall looked at his daughter with concerned eyes

"Yeah, I know that. Mom told me, but somehow I never thought that I was the one getting them. I have never felt them before." Sarah nodded humourlessly to her father. "I guess this makes me the new sorceress huh. It also means my friends might kill me."

"As I said before SeeD just kill evil sorceresses and you can be a good one like your mother. I will give you the same advice she got from the sorceress before her." Squall said as he looked his daughter in the eyes. "Get yourself a knight. The knight helps the sorceress to keep control over her powers by their love. Of what I understand you already have a potential knight"

"Well, maybe. He cares quite a lot about me." She blushed.

"Then maybe you should tell him about it. It will be hard to be a knight if you don't know it."

"Yeah, and I think both Dess and Harley should get to know too. After all they have been my friends my whole life. See you later dad." Sarah said and walked out from the office.

She walked down to the cafeteria and ordered meatballs and potatoes and then sat down with her friends table. "Hi Sarah. Did you and your dad have a nice chat?" Desiree asked

"We had a good talk about something really important. There is something I need to talk with you guys about, and I hope you still want to be my friends after that."

"Sarah, I think there is nothing that can destroy our friendship. We have known each other since birth." Desiree said with a concerned look.

"I will support you whatever it is." Cole said.

"Aw fo one." Harley said with his mouth stuffed with hotdogs.

"Thank you guys. After we finished eating, let's go to a less crowded place." Sarah said as she felt a bit more certain that they deserved to know. They finished their meals and walked to the quad.

"You all know what the main purpose of SeeD is. That we kill sorceress, bad ones that is." Sarah said as searched the strength to say the words. "Before Dess came and picked us up I heard my mother's voice. She helped me save you Cole."

"Well, it is often memories can help you do what is needed to do. Not that I remember to much between that I got hit and I found you with that shard in tour eye." Cole answered.

"The thing is that it wasn't memories. And the way I saved you wasn't with either curative spells or magic. My mother was a sorceress as both you Dess and Harley know. When she died I got her powers wish makes me the next sorceress." She looked at her friends and saw how shocked they were.

"So now you know. We are all SeeD and we all know our mission. So if you want to fight me I understand that and will not hurt you." She said as she fought back the tears as she waited for the killing strikes by a gunblade, a fist or getting shot by a bullet.

Cole was the first one to regain his ability to move and started to walk towards her with his gunblade drawn. "I don't know about how Dess and Harley choose to do."

He turned around. "But the one who wish you any harm has to go trough me first. I will be your knight."

"As they said, we only kill bad sorceresses and you are certainly not one of them." Desiree said as she walked towards her friend followed by Harley Who yelled happily. "ONE FOR ALL. Uhm as I said before."

Now she couldn't keep the tears back but it was happy tears. ("They accept me; they accept me as the one I am.")

The friends moved from the quad and walked to their dorms and changed into their new uniforms and walked away to the big inauguration ball. The mood of the party was quite high and everyone danced. Sarah was on her third turn over the dance floor with Cole and they had quite fun. Harley had already found the table with food that he provided himself with while Desiree accompanied him.

"So how does it feel like being a SeeD?" Cole asked her before he twirled her around.

"Not to bad, even if I hate this skirt that comes with the uniform. I only wear skirts when I have to ever since I got tripped by a student who thought that I got privileges for being the commander's daughter. That's why everybody in the Garden knows that I wear panties with Griever on, because the skirt on the uniform flew up." She told him when she returned from the twirl. "But I kicked him straight on the sweets, and ever since then he hasn't bothered me. But I got to wear the nickname kitten-butt or the nutcracker for nearly a year, and he still has a rather light voice. But enough said about that. How does it feel for you to fulfil your fathers dream?"

"It feels great."

After the dance they took a place on the balcony and watched the stars and gave each other a kiss. Suddenly they heard a voice coming from inside. "Long time, no see my little girl."

They turned around and saw a man in his sixties showed up followed by a girl in her late thirties.

"Grandpa Laguna, aunt Ellone." Sarah yelled in joy as she ran to them and gave them a hug. "It is great to see you, it must been two years since last time."

"Yes, we haven't seen each other since… since the funeral." Ellone said with a small tear in her eye.

"What the heck has happened to your eye?" Laguna asked with a worried look.

"Ah, just a little battle scratch. Nothing serious." Sarah answered proudly.

"So are you going to introduce your friend?" Ellone asked and nodded at Cole.

"Oh, sorry. This is Cole Almasy. You could say that he is my special friend." Sarah told her with a small red taint on her cheeks.

"Oh, I see. I knew his father when we were kids."

"I have heard some tales about it. But say, what brings you two here? Not that I am not happy to see you, but you rarely visit Garden unless it is important." Sarah said as she could see Laguna's expression become a bit more serious.

"It is something I must talk with your father about. So can you tell where I can find him?"

"Well I think I saw him talking with Quistis." Sarah told him.

"Thanks. Meantime I talk with Squall you and Ellone could take the opportunity to catch up some lost time." Laguna said with a smile before he walked away.

"I will leave you two alone for a while." Cole said and joined Desiree and Harley as Sarah gave him a thankful nod.

Sarah and Ellone walked out on the balcony to get some privacy.

"So what do you think about him?" Sarah asked her aunt.

"He seems nice. He is not as cocky as his father and he seems to care about you."

"Well he acted quite like an ass when he came here, but he started to show a nicer side of himself since I beat him in a duel."

"Don't tell me you beat him up as bad as you did with the one who tripped you when you were twelve." Ellone said with a giggle.

"Not that bad. Just showed him that he didn't have to act so damn tough to be accepted." Sarah said as she smiled. "So now he is my knight."

"Your knight?" Ellone asked with a confused look in her face.

"I am a sorceress now. I got the powers from mom when she died." Sarah said with a sight. "What is it grandpa must talk about with dad about? I can tell it isn't about negotiating the fee for the mission."

"Um, I think you are better of not knowing yet." Ellone looked at her niece with concern.

"Maybe, but something tells me that this concerns me in a way to and you know how stubborn I can be if I have set my mind on something."

"Then I better tell you before you do something stupid, like when you were four and wanted a cookie and ended up with getting the cookie jar straight in the head." Ellone smiled but then got a serious expression. "The enemy wasn't terrorists as we first thought but followers of a cult who wishes to revive the demon Azania."

"But is that even possible?" Sarah said as she frowned.

"There is a way with Odine's invention. But a great price has to be paid." Ellone said

Before Ellone had the time to tell more they got interrupted. "Having a good time?" Her father asked as he neared together with Laguna.

"Yes, but I think it starts to getting late so I am going to bed." Sarah yawned.

That night she didn't sleep well but it was not the ordinary nightmare, but a more terrifying dream.

In Dream

She walked around on a fields alone. She saw her mother walk and she started to run after her but she stopped in front a hill and dissolved into white feathers. The feathers started to circle around her as darkness started to cast its shadow over the land. Suddenly the whole sky was set ablaze and a loud dark laugh was heard. She saw her friends on their knees while tears tainted their cheeks. Suddenly a pillar of fire came down from the sky and hit her.

Reality

She sat up in her bed with a scream. ("What the hell was that dream about? What does it mean?") She knew that it was no meaning going back to sleep, it never was after a nightmare. She walked up and dressed herself, but she wasn't going to the secret area as usual because it always was kinda crowded during the inauguration ball. She walked out to the landing ground for Ragnarok and started working on some routine checks to get her mind of the dream. But she had just started the work when she heard someone yell. "Who is there? Show yourself."

She peeked out and saw her father walking around the Ragnarok.

("Guess you couldn't sleep either") She thought as she walked out from Ragnarok. "Hi dad, I guess you have too much on your mind to."

"Oh Sarah, it is you." Her father walked towards her. "Yes, Laguna came with really bad news."

"Yeah I know. Ellone told me. The cult wishes to revive some kind of ancient evil." Sarah told her father with a serious look. ("He still has some difficulties with calling him dad.")

"That is why I am going to help Esthar to catch the thieves before it is too late." He said. "How does it working with your powers?"

"I haven't tried to use them to much yet. It should have been nice to have a sorceress to learn from." She said as she watched her father. "But I guess that the rest of the sorceresses are dead or hiding their powers."

"Well, not quite. The sorceress that was before Rinoa somehow transferred her powers to your mother without dying. We don't know how but it happened."

"And who was that?"

"You know her. Edea was a sorceress during the second sorceress war." Squall said as he saw how her jaw dropped.

"No way, you are kidding."

"Actually was she the one Ultimecia used first to start the war. So who could be a better teacher than her?"

"No body I guess." Sarah answered after a little thinking.

"Then it is settled. I will give your squad a week of."

"But is it ok if I take some days of already. I mean, we have just become SeeDs." She said as she nearly thought he had gone nuts.

"First thing, you kids have earned it by saving the other squads. Second, see it like you are going on a training camp to enhance your abilities. You can take the Ragnarok tomorrow after breakfast. Maybe she knows more about this evil to."

The morning came and the gang prepared for the take off.

"Wow, it feels like it has been so long since we visited Nana." Desiree said happily as she prepared the engines.

"Yeah, it must at least been three years ago." Harley said as they took of.

As you may have noticed I still follow my typical pattern with a kind of dark story, but I hope you also notice my attempts on humour to. Reviews are welcome so I know if I shall change anything to the next chapter.


	3. A Fearsome Prophecy

Hi. I hope you like the story so far. It will not be too much battle in the beginning but it will be more of that later. You should know by now that I don't own Final Fantasy.

Chapter 3: A Fearsome Prophecy

Edea was outside the old orphanage and looked after the children she cared for now as she heard a loud sound of jet engines in the air. ("What a gentle surprise.")

A small girl tugged in her dress as she screamed in terror. "Matwyn, Matwyn. A big dragon is attacking."

"No no dear Rose. That is not a dragon. It is a spaceship that looks like a dragon. It is nothing to be afraid of." Edea picked up the little girl in her arms. "Shall we go and meet them?"

"Yay." The little girl called out happily. They walked towards the dragon ship as the landing ramp opened and the four friends walked out.

"Hi Nana." Desiree yelled as she ran out from the Ragnarok and hugged her.

"Hi kids. I am glad to see you to. We don't get either visitors or news out here to often." Edea laughed "And I see that you have gotten a new friend to."

"Hi. I am Cole Almasy. I have just transferred from Galbadia Garden to Balamb."

"Could it be that your father is named Seifer Almasy?" Edea said as she scanned the boy from top to toe.

"How did you know?"

"I recognised his coat and you look very much alike him." Edea smiled. "I was the one who raised him together with the others parents except Rinoa of course. How are they by the way? I haven't heard from them for nearly three years when you last were here."

"Well, my parents are just fine. They will soon celebrate their seventeenth anniversary." Desiree said.

"Same with the Dincht." Harley followed.

"My old man married my mom Fujin right after I was born and they are still going steady." Cole said as he noticed how Sarah tensed at the question.

"Well, dad is ok; he is running the garden together with the rest of the gang as usual. But mom, well, mom she." Sarah struggled with the words.

"Has something happened to Rinoa?" Edea asked as she put the girl on the ground.

"She died two years ago. She got shot in a hostage situation." She answered as she fought to uphold the brave front even if she felt how the tears wanted to come out.

"Oh my. I am so sorry." Edea said as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Don't worry. Both me and dad is coping with it pretty good. Actually it is because of her powers we are here. You see, when she died I got her powers and want to learn how to use them." Sarah explained. "Dad told me that you are a former sorceress, so maybe you could help me."

"But of course dear. Just answer one question." Edea said as she looked at the boys in the small group. "Have you chosen a knight yet?"

"Yes. Cole and I are no longer just a couple but also sorceress and knight." Sarah answered as she gave Cole a loving look.

"I guess it is not just the looks and the coat then that you have inherited from your father. He always wanted to be a sorceress knight. Well let me give you your first lesson then." Edea said as she and Sarah walked away to train magic.

When the three was alone Desiree couldn't hold her curiosity any longer. "Cole, is it true that you and Sarah killed some enemies during the exam yesterday?"

"Yes, we did." Cole answered with a bitter tone as he thought of the fact that his beloved was the one with the reddest hands in the group and they had just turned a few shades darker.

"Oh god, I could guess you have the gut to it because Galbadia Garden is a bit more military in their education for the army, while Balamb is more focused on mercenaries. But I had no idea that Sarah could kill so easily." Desiree said while she processed the shock.

"It is always hardest the first time, in my training at the Galbadia Garden we had to witness a couple of executions." Cole said as he remembered the faces of the ones that were going to meet their death.

"But Sarah has never killed before of what I know."

"I leave it to her to explain when she feels the time is right. I promised her that."

"Ok, I guess it is just to wait then." Desiree said as she slumped down on a rock. ("It seems that she has more issues than we first thought on her mind.")

Meanwhile down by the beach Sarah got instructed by Edea how to use the magic.

"Try one more time to turn the apple into a lizard." Edea laid the apple on a rock. "Focus on the task and feel the powers flow trough your body."

Sarah locked her mind on the apple and tried to transform it in her mind. Suddenly the apple exploded and spread its juicy flesh all around the ground. "Aw, not again, it is the tenth apple-blow-up in a row." She said as her patience started to vanish.

"Don't feel to frustrated and give it time. Your mother had some trouble to at the beginning." Edea smiled as she noticed the similarities between the mother and daughter.

"Luckily I have just destroyed one shirt and one jacket so far." Sarah said as she rolled her eyes.

"Rinoa was almost as dangerous to shirts as you are to apples." Edea said with a snicker. "Let us continue after dinner."

"Sounds good to me. I am starving." Sarah smiled relieved for the break.

Edea and the four friends sat by the table in the kitchen while the children ate in the newly built dinner room while the former headmaster Cid looked after them, just to give his wife and former student's kids some privacy.

"Mmm, this stew is really delicious. Better than what they serve in the cafeteria. Especially those apple pieces in it. " Desiree said between the bites.

"Sarah helped a bit." Edea said

"Wow, when did she learn to cook? Last time she tried to cook, she set of the fire alarm and the sprinkler system. It took nearly a week before everything in our dorm had dried up." Desiree laughed at the memory.

"Who said that she helped cook. The apples are in pieces because she blew them up with magic. That is why they taste a bit like barbecued." Edea answered while she mused on the expression on the girl's face.

"Well almost outruns the hotdogs." Harley said as he gulped on his food.

"Someone has taken some traits from his father I hear." Edea smiled, but noticed something that something was on Sarah's mind as she seemed to be in deep thoughts. ("Definitively her father's daughter. Despite the cheerful attitude, she is just shielding herself behind a façade like her father did.") She looked at the girl as she asked. "Is something bothering you?"

Sarah who snapped out of her reverie answered. "Uh well it can wait, but there is also one more thing that my father wants me to ask you."

"You can ask me now so you can get it of your mind dear." Edea said with concern.

"Have you heard of a demon called Azania?"

"Well, sounds familiar. I will look it up while you blow up some more apples."

They finished their dinner and Edea took one of her books and started to read, while Sarah continued to try to turn an apple into a lizard with the others as spectators wish was followed by a bang as the apples shattered.

("Here it is, Azania. What are you for kind of peace destroyer then?") She thought as she read, but suddenly felt how she froze as she read about both the demon and the prophecy on how to stop it. She walked out to the youths outside who cheered as Sarah finally succeeded in getting the apple into a lizard, without blowing it up.

"I have found some fact the demon and I am afraid this will not be a pleasant thing to deal with."

"What have you found?" Sarah asked as she looked at the elderly woman.

"The prophecy tells that when the followers of Azania get control over a mad mans machine the coming full moon will welcome the second coming of the powerful demon-queen. Then once again darkness will cover the world and the era of humanity will end." Edea read from the book.

"How do we stop it?" Sarah asked. "There must be a way. "

"There is, but there is only one that can do it." Edea said as she looked at the youths one by one and in the end locked her eyes on Sarah. "The prophecy tells about a young sorceress, the result of the unison between a lion and an angel with a pure heart but bloodstained hands will have the power to summon the ancient ones. The blood on her fingertips will open the gates trough fire."

"Then we must find her, and fast. The next full moon is tomorrow night." Sarah said with confidence. "Maybe my powers can help us with that."

Edea looked her right in the eye. "We don't need to search for her. It is you the prophecy talks about. The lion is your father and the angel is your mother."

Sarah felt the words hit her like a hammer straight in the head. "But, but it can't be. I am not that pure. I am not that innocent."

"I have spilt blood in vengeance two years ago." She felt a tear roll down her cheek. "I killed my mother's killers in pure anger. I took nine lives in exchange for one that was taken from me. So sure my hands are stained, but I am not pure."

Both Harley and Desiree were to chocked to say anything while Cole who didn't know what to say despite he knew this from the night before, walked to her and embraced her in a supportive hug.

"Things aren't that black and white. Purity doesn't necessary means an inexperienced virgin who never done anything wrong and lived her life at a monastery. To have a pure heart means that you are ready to do anything to help your friends and loved ones." Edea said as she looked at the young couple with a worried look as she prepared for the next thing. "But there is a problem according to the prophecy."

"What problem might that be?" Sarah asked.

"You might not survive. According to this text the sorceress must stands in the flames as she opens the gates, as the fire is the gate between the worlds." Edea looked at the girl and felt sorry for her.

Sarah drew a deep breath and exhaled. "Well, if the destiny wants me dead it is just as good my death will be to save the world. And there is a small chance that I might survive to, because it stood nothing about dying for sure." She said and tried to sound cheerful and confident, but she couldn't fool her friends who noticed the fear that resided inside her.

But they also knew it was no use to try and confront her about it because she would be too stubborn to admit it. Not that she was afraid that they would pity her but because she didn't want them to worry.

"You know that we are behind you all the way." Cole said as both Harley and Desiree nodded. "We will find a way to save you."

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it. But don't get yourself killed while trying." She said as she tried to make it sound little like a joke. ("I can't live with that someone else died protecting me, not again.")

The night came but Sarah could not sleep due to the task she had been presented to and more or less by that received a death sentence, so instead she walked to the big flower field where her parents had made the promise of what she had been told just to cleanse her head. ("Damn, I forgot the violin at the Garden. Well I could take the opportunity to sing instead. It is almost as soothing as playing.")

She started to sing with a gentle voice as tears emerged in her eyes as she watched the night sky as she thought of all the things she is going to miss in life like children and marriage, to grow old and grey with a special someone.

"I walk through the fire, feeling it feed on my skin."

"For the hope of the future, blood will be shed. I may not come home again "

"But please do not cry for me,"

"I will be all among the stars for eternity, looking down on you."

Desiree couldn't sleep either because she worried for her best friend as she heard the song from the flower field. She got up in her pyjamas and walked to Edea who was sitting in the kitchen.

"Desiree dear, are you still awake?" Edea asked as she saw the young girl

"Yes, I couldn't sleep." She said as she sat down on a chair by the table. "Is there any chance for her to survive this thing?"

"Yes there is a very slim chance that she will survive, but not without getting burnt." Edea said as she laid her hand on the girls shoulder in a supportive gesture. "I don't like it any more than you, but if she doesn't do this mankind is doomed."

"But she is just a kid like us. She is just sixteen, and already going to die." Desiree cried as Edea embraced her. "It is not fair. It is just not fair."

"Shhh, So so dear. I am sure everything will turn to the best. It nearly always does." Edea said as she rocked the crying girl while listening to the song coming from outside.

The next morning they ate their breakfast and Sarah continued her training in magic as she still tried to joke about the whole thing to lighten up the mood of the small group. Harley and Cole trained their fighting skills and Desiree helped Edea looking after the children while she contacted the garden to tell about the treat. Of course she told them nothing about the prophecy.

"Sarah, may I speak to you?" Desiree asked her friend.

"Of course, you know that my ears are always open for you."

"Isn't there another way to do this? I mean one that doesn't get you killed" Desiree said as her eyes become watery.

"Maybe there is, but we don't have time. Tonight the world's destiny will be decided and if I don't do this, somebody else must."

"But you are my best friend. I don't know what to do without you." Now the tears streamed openly down Desiree's cheeks.

"I really appreciate to have you as my friend and we have had pretty fun together." Sarah said as she took Desiree's hands in her own. "Do you remember when we changed the ketchup bottle into a Tabasco bottle? Zell got a great surprise when he ate the hotdogs."

"Yeah, he got pretty mad to. As fast he had bulged down at least ten glasses of water he chased us through garden. Aimee had a hard time calming him down" Desiree giggled at the memory. "But I guess we are never going to do pranks like that again"

"Don't be to sure, I might even survive." Sarah looked her friend in the eyes. "I promise you that we will try every other way first before."

The evening came and they moved to the ruins on the Centran continent, where the enemy was going to summon the demon queen. The four friends tried to sneak around the cult but was spotted nearly immediately and chased.

"Oh crap, this isn't good." Harley said as he ran.

"We can't run forever. We must fight." Sarah said. "On three turn around fast and give your best. Surprise is our best weapon right now. One two three."

Every one of them turned around and drew their weapons and ran against the enemies.

Sarah stabbed some of them with the sai while Cole decapitated two with the gunblade. Harley broke the neck of one while Desiree pulled out her two guns and started shooting at them and hit three men in the chest. "This cult must contain at least about a hundred and fifty people." Cole said as he cut down another one.

"Maybe more." Sarah answered.

They fought for nearly an hour, but were in the end overpowered and captured. They were taken to the cult's base camp right under the ruins Odin guards. They got stripped of their weapons and locked into a cage.

"So now what?" Harley said. "We can't stop them as long as we are captured."

Sarah started to look around and suddenly she saw a pile of wood. "Maybe we can. Look over there, it seems like they are going to sacrifice somebody as a part of the ceremony."

"Why do they need a ceremony if they have Odine's machine?" Cole asked. "And what the hell are you planning now?"

"The machine is just an interpreter of the old Centran language so they can read the instructions. That is why they needed the machine. They killed my mother to get it. " Sarah answered as her eye flared with anger. "To answer your other question. Remember the prophecy? The part with fire. I am going to see to that I get on that stake."

"B-but that is suicide." Desiree said.

"I know, but the world depends on it." Sara walked with determined steps towards the fence and started to taunt the cultists. "Hey, you. Do you really believe you creeps can summon a demon huh? You who couldn't even kill a little girl while she slaughtered nine of you with ease two years ago. That must be a really pitiful demon, if you summon it."

"Blasphemy. Only for that you are going to suffer. I hope you like it hot." A woman who supposedly was the high priestess said to her

"Oh, but I do. I bet you don't even have what it takes to put me on the stake." She snapped back while her friends just shook their head in sorrow.

"Sarah, are you mad. You will be killed." Cole said as the high priestess left them.

"No, I am just doing what it takes to stop the whole thing. We can't do anything from here and we can't depend on that the other SeeDs will come in time. I am sorry, but it has to be done." Sarah said as she strokes away a tear from his left eye. "Don't worry, I will find a way to come back. The Ancient ones are the good sorceresses and their knights from the past wish means mom is one to and I bet that she will save me if she can."

Suddenly came a couple of men and escorted Sarah towards the stake and with some difficulties tied her by the pole as the ceremony started. The high priest started to chant as he read from the scroll and did everything that needed to be done to open the gate between the dimensions.

"And we give you this sacrifice to ensure your return." The high priestess chanted as some men lighted the wood. . "The great goddess Azania has granted us with her bracelets of power. With these we could even fight the notorious SeeD."

("Ok, it is time to do as Edea instructed you to do") Sarah thought as she noticed how the smoke started to form into a portal of darkness.

"Sorceresses of past, step forward. Knights of the past step forward." She chanted as the flames just got higher and higher. She saw the fear in the eyes of her friends as she tried to remember the words while concentrating on her powers. "Let the darkest night turn to light"

As fast as the words had left her mouth, a beam of pure light shot straight up into the portal and engulfed it. Out from it came earlier generations of sorceresses and knights and started to fight of the cultists and the door on the cage flew open, allowing Desiree, Harley and Cole to escape. They got their weapons and started to fight to get to her before the flames did. Every cult member who didn't get killed by either her friend or the Ancient ones fled in pure terror out on the plains.

Sarah saw one of the ghostlike figures closing in on her.

"M-mom?" She said as she realised it was her mother's spirit. "Please help me. I summoned the Ancient ones as in the prophecy."

Rinoa's spirit tried to grab the ropes her daughter was tied with, but her fingers just went trough. Sarah saw her mother shaking her head in sorrow as she vanished into the night along with the other Ancient ones. She could now feel how the fire soon started to wander at her feet followed by her pants and legs. She screamed as the pain engulfed her whole being as her clothes lit up and burning her.

"SARAH!!!" Desiree cried as she slumped down on the ground in despair noticing that her friend was soon to be swallowed by the flames.

Some kilometres away Squall led a troop of SeeDs mostly made up of his friends and the kid's parents, towards the camp. On their way they had encountered some cultist who had been either killed or captured. Under the interrogation he had heard something a dark haired girl on a burning stake. He had started running with the other SeeDs in tow but stopped just a few hundred meters from the camp as they all heard a painful cry pierce the night followed by the disgusting smell of burnt flesh. "Sarah." he yelled and sprinted of towards the camp.

In the camp he found Desiree sitting on the ground weeping while she was embraced by a teary Harley. Cole had gotten his hands on a surviving cult member in wish he took out his aggression on by throwing him around and kicking him in pure anger as tears flowed down his cheek.

Squall knelled down by Desiree. "Where is Sarah?" He asked even if he already knew the answer.

"S-She is in t-there." Desiree cried and pointed at the pyre.

"NOOOO!!!" He cried out and then walked towards the cultist Cole tortured and looked the man in the eyes as he hissed. "Your damn cult have cost me both my wife and my daughter. For that you will suffer along with the others we have captured. "

"Take this pitiful worm out of my sight." He said as a couple of SeeDs escorted the man away.

Desiree was escorted back to the Garden by Irvine and Selphie while Harley was escorted by Zell and Aimee. Squall took care of Cole as both were knights now without a sorceress.

The next day they started to investigate the place for the ceremony. They concluded that the gate to the dark dimension was closed and the scrolls on how to open it were destroyed. The portal to the other dimension where the Ancient ones came from was still open though under heavily guard. They investigated the place of the pyre to see if they could recover the body, or at least the bones of the SeeD who died the night before.

"Did you find anything?" Squall asked the team who worked on the investigation of the pyre.

"Only this, we are surprised that it is still undamaged due to the heat that must have been." The SeeD told him as they handed over a necklace with two rings on. Squall felt the tears gather in his eyes as he thought of his little girl. The world would never be the same again due to the pain in his chest where usually his heart would be found.

Pretty sad huh. I am going to write one more chapter so stay stunned and please don't hate me to much yet for killing the girl. Reviews are most welcome so I know what you think.


	4. An Unusual Funeral

Hi again. This chapter might be a bit happier than the last one. I am not going to tell you too much of what is going to happen but I know that I will like it at least. Don't own Final Fantasy and never will do.

Chapter 4: An Unusual Funeral

Three days has gone since the battle and the SeeDs still guarded the portal that was still open. Squall was in his office dressed in his SeeD-uniform with the Commander-insignia on, preparing for the second funeral in nearly a week. His eyes were red after all the crying and around his arm he had tied a black ribbon in honour to his daughter who had been burnt to death some days ago as she summoned the powers to stop the treat to the world. Today it was her funeral and he was supposed to say goodbye to her, to let her go. But he felt he couldn't. There wasn't going to be a real funeral because her body was completely destroyed so there was nothing to bury.

("Oh god, how the hell am I supposed to live on without her beautiful smile. I have loved her ever since she was born and I saw her for the first time. She was the one who had ultimately dragged the pieces of me not even Rinoa had succeeded with out from my shell, and now they are both gone.") He thought as some stray tears rolled down from his eyes as he looked on the photo of his daughter he held in his hand along with the necklace that had first belonged to his wife and later his daughter.

His thought was interrupted by the knock on his door followed by Zell's voice. "Squall, it is time. Everyone is gathered outside and ready to say good bye." He put down the photography and walked out to the waiting crowd on the plain where he had lost his daughter.

Everyone was wearing their uniforms SeeDs and cadets alike, not an eye was dry because everyone had heard of her painful fate. Former general Fury Caraway stood in a proud manner, but you could see that he to had hard time fighting back the tears. Laguna stood silent, and by his side stood Ellone weeping openly against his shoulder.

An enlarged picture of his daughter stood in place of the casket due to the absence of a body. He took a few deep breaths before he started to talk. "Sarah Julia Raine Leonhart wasn't just my daughter, but also my subordinate. Under her time at Balamb Garden from five years old she never got any special treatment, and she never accepted any, she wanted to do it on the same terms as anybody else." He took a small pause to fight back the tears and keep his control over the voice. "She showed us all what it means to be friend and a companion. She was always ready to help a war buddy, or at least died trying. That is why we know honour her with our presence here today, and if anyone else wants to say a few words you are welcome."

With those words Squall walked down and was replaced by Desiree.

"Sarah and I weren't just classmates and war buddies; we were friends closer than sisters." She said as she fought against the tears. "I know many of you have heard about the shenanigans we caused like Zell's ketchup-incident or the ruckus we caused when we cut dad's ponytail of. I guess we will never again do anything like that. I am sorry we couldn't save you." She walked down close to tears and the next one was Cole to speak.

"Hi, as the most of you know I got transferred just a week ago and most of you know she kicked my ass in that duel. Something most of you don't know is that we fell in love with each other, and she showed me that I didn't have to act like a bully to gain respect. She was actually the first one who didn't judge me for my old man's sins and accepted me as I was. She was one of a kind. Just like Desiree and Harley, I was there when she died. I will never forget the terror in her eye as she saw it was too late. I can still hear the scream of pain and still feel smell of burnt flesh in my nose. I almost hate myself that I was unable to save her. Sleep tight little Angeleye, we will always remember you." He to stepped down and Squall walked in place again to end the ceremony. "With those words said I send you to your eternal rest. Earth to earth, aches to aches and dust to dust." He thought about how true the words really were because the only thing that remained of her was just aches and dust.

"Rest in peace my little girl." He said with a tear strolling down his cheek as he gave Irvine the signal to give the three-volley salute. He heard Irvine call the order to fire and how the three salves rang trough the air. This was followed by a SeeD who started to play the funeral march as everyone gave the SeeD salute with the back of their palms. Desiree who had tried to maintain a brave front like her friend often did could hold it no longer and broke down on the ground weeping as she got supported by Harley.

But as soon the march was finished, everybody's attention turned at something else.

The portal wish hadn't closed yet started to glow and out from it, it walked a figure well known for everyone..

Squall looked at the figure he recognised so well. "R-Rinoa." He said as the words blended with tears. "I am sorry I couldn't protect our little girl."

Rinoa's spirit smiled as she started to speak in a calm soft voice. "Shhh, don't worry. It took a while to convince the other Ancient ones, and then to recreate her body. But I have her with me, right here." She said as she brought out a small orb of energy and laid it down on the ground where it started to grow and mould into the form of a sleeping girl in a fetus position.

With that Rinoa vanished and the portal closed.

Amazed of what they had seen no one said a word. The first one take action was Cole who fast took of his coat and covered the body of the newly reborn Sarah, both because it was kind of chilly but also to cover her unmentionable parts due to the lack of clothes.

Sarah woke up and looked around a bit confused, but then recognised the shape of her knight. She threw herself in his arms and gave him a real tight hug and a deep kiss in wish the spectators cheered. Soon both Desiree and Harley came running and joined the embrace while tears of happiness flowed from their eyes.

"Oh it is so great to see you." Desiree yelled as the tears steamed down in happiness.

"Yeah, we thought you were gone like forever." Harley said as he too joined the reunion.

"Well I guess it is the second time we find you in Cole's coat only." Desire joked as everybody laughed, even if both Sarah's and Cole's cheeks turned quite red at the words.

Squall looked up in the sky as he felt happiness and relief as he whispered. "Thank you Rinoa. Thank you."

This chapter was short, but I got a serious case of writers block. Hope you like it. Reviews are welcome.


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